Joshua 14

And these are the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to them.

1These are the lands that the people of Israel received in Canaan. Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the tribe leaders handed them out.

2By lot was their inheritance, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half tribe.

2They chose each tribe's share by casting lots, a way of letting God decide. The LORD had told Moses to do it this way. Nine and a half tribes got land here.

3For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other side Jordan: but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among them.

3Moses had already given land east of the Jordan River to two and a half tribes. He gave no land to the Levites, the tribe that served God at his tent.

4For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance.

4Joseph's family had grown into two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. So the Levites got no share of the land. They only got towns to live in, with fields around them for their animals.

NoteThe old word "suburbs" here does not mean neighborhoods. It means open fields around a town where animals could eat grass.

5As the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did, and they divided the land.

5The people of Israel did just what the LORD had told Moses. They divided up the land.

6Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.

6Then men from the tribe of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said, "You know what the LORD said to Moses about you and me at Kadesh-barnea."

7Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.

7"I was forty years old when Moses sent me out from Kadesh-barnea. He sent me to look the land over. I came back and told him the truth."

8Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.

8"The other men who went with me scared the people badly. But I kept following the LORD my God with my whole heart."

9And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God.

9"That day Moses made me a promise. He said, 'The land you walked on will belong to you and your children forever. This is because you followed the LORD my God with your whole heart.'"

10And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.

10"The LORD has kept me alive for forty-five years, just as he said. That was while Israel wandered in the desert. Today I am eighty-five years old."

NoteThe King James Bible says "fourscore and five." A score is twenty, so this means eighty-five.

11As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.

11"I am still as strong today as I was when Moses sent me. I can still fight, and I can still come and go."

12Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.

12"So give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You heard that the Anakim lived there, a very tall and strong people. Their cities were big, with high walls. If the LORD is with me, I will drive them out, as he said."

13And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.

13Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh. He gave him the town of Hebron to be his own.

14Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.

14So Hebron belongs to Caleb's family to this day. That is because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, with his whole heart.

15And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.

15Hebron used to be called Kirjath-arba. Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. After this, the fighting stopped and the land was at rest.